For New York socialites of a “certain age”, Dennis Basso is THE MAN, & has been for the past 40 years. He has counted anyone who is anyone in society as a close personal friend from countless First Ladies to virtually the entire list of the proverbial “ladies who lunch”, aka: the New York social set (Nancy Reagan, Joan Rivers, Katie Couric & Elizabeth Taylor to name just a few). For this show, notables included the Graff diamond heir Lady Betty & her husband José, a Real Housewife or two, Fern Mallis, & the entire cast of every charity function that graces the social pages of the Times during Gala season.
The designer wasn’t shy about stating his accomplishments in a short “greatest hits” movie reel to kick off his 40th Anniversary show that not so subtly declared to all new-comer designers, “this is how it’s done”. The movie left everyone in the room not only feeling nostalgic, but also one couldn’t help but feel that we were in the presence of true American fashion design greatness.
Basso is known as a master fur designer but he gives his ladies more, much more. He’s got multiple options for swanky soirées that range from sequin tweed pant suits with a fox stole to a sequin tweed cocktail dress with silk organza puff sleeves. Our favorite cocktail look was an organza & duchesse satin bow blouse with a cropped chinchilla vest & flowing crepe pants that made for a seriously eye-catching silhouette, yet seemed to float weightlessly down the U-shaped runway as those in the audience gasped & camera shutters chattered all a’flutter.
For galas & those big evenings out, there was a mix of 80s Back to the Future metallic ombré party dresses in cobalt blue, & emerald green, many with puff sleeves & one-shoulder designs.
What really worked was a deep emerald draped velvet gown with a matching bolero (26) & a sequin strapless draped duchess satin gown. Coincidentally, our favorite model wore two of the top looks.
The show came to a close with the iconic seventies supermodel, Beverly Johnson, who walked the show finale as always in a gold duchesse satin gown with train that was at minimum 3 yards long. Johnson made her triumphant pass one last time to close the finale with Basso himself on her arm, as the legions of Basso devotees rose to their feet to laud him with applause, hugs, fashionable double air kisses, to be followed with checks to his atelier in the weeks to come for their latest dose of the fashionable “drug” labeled as Dennis Basso.
-Vivian Kelly (@thefashionhistorian)
